Automatic piano-player.



No. 816,605. PATENTED APR. 3, 1906. J. SAMPERE. AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYER.

I APPLICATION FILED MAE.13,1905.

2 SHEBTS-SHEET 1.

I\Nlllllllllllllllllllllll flHHIIlLl l l I I I j-wua l l 0; $13 81105421 0 PATENTED APR. 3, 1906.

J. SAMPERE. AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.13.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSE SAMPERE, OF RAHWAY, 'NEXV JERSEY,

ASSIGNOR TO THE REGINA JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC PIANO-PLAYER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 3, 1906.

Application nee March 13, 1905. semi No. 249.700.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSE SAMPERE, a subkct of the King of Spain, anda resident of ahway, Union county, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Piano-Players, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for automatically operating pianos and other musical instruments, and has for its object to providean improved arrangement of valves in a pneumatic action for the purpose indicated above and also to improve .the means for actuatingend adjusting the strikers employedin apparatus of thisc'haracter.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter and the features of novelty pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of aportion of a piano-player embodying my improvements with parts in. section. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed View of one of the valveseats in section, and Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of the striker-adjusting device.

My invention is applicable to a pneumatic action, whether the same be located within a piano or like instrument or in a separate attachment commonly called a pianoplayer.

A indicates the frame, at the front of which are arranged various levers and controllers B, which I shall not describe in detail, inasmuch v as they perform the usual functions of governing the expression, the speed, and other features or operations. At the upper portion of the frame is located a suitable compartment O, adapted to contain the rolls D for the traveling music-sheet E, which is driven by means of a suitable motor,

of which the chain E (shown in Fig. 2) forms T a member. Motors for this purpose being well-knownin the art, I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate or describe the details thereof. The music-sheet E having the customary perforations passes over a trackerboard F, provided with as many perforations as there are keys to be struck. From each of these perforations a suitable air-channel formed, for instance, by atube Gl eads to one of a series of nipples H, located at the upper end of channels Each of these channels leads to one side of a diaphragm J the other side of which is exposed to the suction or reduced pressure existing within a first primary valve-chest K. This valve-chest communicates by a passage L with a second primary valve-chest M, from whicha channel N leads to the main wind-chest of the instrument, (not shown,) so that the-suction produced by the bellows or equivalent devices commonly employed in instruments of this kind will tend to draw the diaphra m J int the chamber K. Each of the diapTi is engaged by .a head 0, which is connected by a stem P with an inner valve Q and an outer valve R. The inner valve Q, which is normally open, allows the chamber K to communicate with a passage S, leading to the o ragms J outer side of a diaphragm T, the inner side nel S and a diaphragm Tfor each of the valves Q. As long as a valve Q is open the corresponding diaphragm T will be subject to the same pressure on the inside and outside and will therefore remain in the normal position. (Shown in 2.) The outer valve R is adapted when open to connect the passage S with the atmosphere through suitable air-inlets,-

such as U, it being understood that when the valve R opens the valve Q closes. This opening of the valve R is brought about as soon as any one of the apertures of the music-sheet E registers with one of the openings of the tracker-board F. This causes. a reponderance of pressure on the outer su ace of the diaphragm J where the same faces the channel I and forces the diaphragm inward, so as to closethe valve Q and open the valve R. By this operation the channel S is connected with the outside air,- -and the resulting preponderance ofpressure forces the diaphragm inward. Each diaphragm T engages a head V on a stem X, carrying two valves Y and Z. The valve Y is normally seated b suction, so as to disconnect the second primary wind-chest from' a chamber a, which normally communicates with the outside air by means of an aperture 1) and which permanently communicates with the interior of the corresponding strikin -pneumatic c by means of a channel d. The second valveZ is normall open; but upon the inward movement of the diaphragm T the valve Z will close and the valve Y will open. Thus the interior of the striking-pneumatic c, which is normally open to the atmosphere, will be temporarily connected with the secondv primary wind-chest M, causing the said pneumatic c to collapse andoperate the corresponding key of the piano or other instrument. 4

The pneumatic action may be of any desired construction; but I prefer the one shown in Fig. 2, where I employ an abstract e, connected with the movable member of the striking-pneumatic and also with a lever f, fulcrumed at g and connected by a link it with a striking-lever i, fulcrumed at The link h is connected with the lever f between the fulcrum g and the point of connection of said lever with the abstract 6. In order to enable each of the strikers i to be adjusted individually, I prefer to make the link h in two sections, so as to' render it extensible. The two sections, as shown, are connected by screwing one into the other. The upper section has a flat or angular portion h, projecting above the striker i and adapted to fit a suitable key used for turning said upper section. The pivot '1' is formed of leather or similar material to fit a reduced portion k of the link, so that a longitudinal movement of the upper link-section relatively to the pivot is prevented. The links it are connected with the strikers 1', by forcing the end h ,of said links through openings in the pivots i, which openings are smaller in diameter than the links it. Thus when the reduced portion it reaches the position shown in Fig. 4. the material of which the pivot 11 is constructed being elastic will contract and grip said reduced portion k of the links. Other means may be employed for adjusting the length of the links h.

It will be understood that by turning the upper link-section this section, together with t e corresponding striker, will be adjusted up or down.- By providing for the individual adjustment of the strikers I am enabled heads 0 and V.

valves Yand Z to be readily taken out, 1 pre-- 5 to secure an absolutely uniform touch for all the keys. The same result might be obtained 'by making the abstract 6 extensible.

instead of the link h.

In piano-players of the character herein described it is of great practical importance that the valves'should be readily accessible for inspection and repairs. For this purpose the top plate 7a, in which the air-inlets U are located, is made removable, so that the outer valves B may be'readily got at.

the chambers K and M, which wallcarries the second rimary diaphragms T. Thus the said diap agmsare made readily accessible and at the same time the valves Q and In order to enable the for to guide their stem X in a cross-bar m,

7 Further-.. more, I employ a removable front wall Z for secured to a plate n, having two keyhole-slots p, secured to the rear wall q of the chamber M, it being understood that a slight turning movement of the plate n will lock or unlock it, enabling it to be removed with the stem X and the parts carried thereby when desired. I prefer to form this plate n with a seat of peculiar formation for the valve Y. As shown in Fig. 3, the inner edge of this seat is practically flush with the rear face of the plate n, and the remainder of the valve-seat is beveled, so that the seat is practically part. of a conical surface. I have found that with this arrangement the valve will seat much better-than if an ordinary flat seat were employed.

In order that the diaphragms J may return to their normal position, (shown in Fig. 2,) as soon as the corresponding hole in the trackerboard is covered, I provide a bleeding-hole r in the rear wall of the chamber K, so as to esber and each of the channels I. This will restore equal pressures on both sides of the diaphragms J and allow the preponderance of pressure onthe outer valve R to close the same. The location of the bleeding-holes 1 in the rearwall of the chamber K is preferred, as it renders the said holes readily aclong pin or wire may, for instance, be msert ed from the front to clean the said bleedingholes, if necessary. I

Various modifications may be made withtion.

I claim as my invention- 1. ha pneumatically-operated musical instrument, a frame havin a first primary wind-chest K and a secon primary windchest M communicating. therewith, a removable wall I normally closing both of said .windchests at one side, diaphragms T .carriedby said wall in the second primary windchest and channels S leading from said diaphragms T to the first primary wind-chest, first primary valves R and Q controlling the air and the first primary wind-chest respecmary wind-chest, diaphragms J in the. first diaphragms.== v2. In apneumatically-operated musical posed second primary wind chest, second [the second primary wind-chest, a first pri- 0. These slots are adapted to receive screws tablish a communication between said chamcessible after removal of the front wall 1. A

IOO out departing from the nature of my inven- V connection of said channels with the. outside i 'IIS tively, pneumatics C and second primary-- valves Z and Y controlled by said dia- Q phragms to connect the pneumatics either with the outside air 'or with the second pritzov P primary wind-chest, for controlling the first f primary valves, and. a tracker-board F hav ing'channels G, I, leading tothe last-named r2 5 instrument, pneumaticg... atnnerticallydisprimary valves controlling.;the.connection of said pneumaticswithf either the outside air or mary wind-chest disposed horizontally above the second primary Wind-chest and c0n1municating therewith, channels for controlling the position of the second primary valves from the first primary wind-chest, first primary valves controlling the connection of said channels with either the outside air or the first primary wind-chest and a trackerboard having connections governing the position of the first primary valves.

3. In a pneumatically-operated musical instrument, a wind-chest having a removable wall at one side, primary valves in said Windchest, a tracker-board having connections for controlling the position of said primary valves, said connections passing along the wall of the wind-chest opposite to the removable wall thereof and being provided with bleeding holes, extending toward said removable Wall, a second primary wind-chest below said first-named wind-chest and covered by said removable wall, and pneumatics, the connection of which with either the outside air or the second wind-chest-is controlled primarily by said first primary valves.

4. I11 a pneumatically-operated musical instrument, a pneumatic, a striker anda mechanical connection between said striker and neumatic, said connection comprising a ink consisting of two sections having a screw connection with each other, one of said sec tions being rotatably secured in a pivot i which is in turn rotatably mounted in the striker;

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSE SAMPERE. Witnesses:

JoHN LOTKA, JOHN A. KEHLENBECK. 

